In 1910’s The Vagabond, the French writer Colette claimed, “The only real things are the dance, the light, freedom, music.” If that’s the case, then there are few pop catalogs more in touch with reality than Madonna’s.
The Queen of Pop kicked 2023 off right by announcing the Celebration Tour, a global trek honoring her four decades of culture-changing hits.
Needless to say, she has a lot of material to choose from — with 12 No. 1s, 38 top 10 hits and 57 titles on the Billboard Hot 100, Madonna is an all-time pop GOAT. And considering her most recent tour (the excellent, intimate Madame X Tour from 2019-2020) was primarily focused on the album of the same name she was supporting, there’s quite a number of beloved classics that Madge hasn’t performed live in several years.
That seems set to change with the Celebration Tour, which promises to be a career-retrospective run of songs from the pop icon, whose self-titled debut introduced the world to a new game-changing superstar back in 1983. And since we’re looking at 40 years of Madonna, we decided to round up 40 songs we would love to hear the Material Goddess perform live.
Now, we’re not saying we want every one of these songs performed in full at every tour stop — a 40-song setlist is less a concert and more of a marathon. Some we’d like to hear in part, perhaps as a segue or in a medley; others we could imagine M performing as a surprise treat on select tour dates. But this is our wish list.
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“Everybody”
Why not start where it all began? Ms. Ciccone’s debut single missed the Hot 100 but hit No. 3 on the Dance Club Songs chart in 1983 — i.e., 40 years ago. And given that this is a career-spanning 40th anniversary tour, it would be a fitting opener. Plus, the message still lands: “Dance and sing/ Get up and do your thing.”
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“Borderline”
For as beloved as this sparkling gem from her self-titled debut is, it hasn’t been trotted out all too often in concert (although she did memorably sing it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2016). Just try to understand (underSTAND) how delightful it would be to hear this slice of cotton-candy pop at a stadium near you.
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“Angel”
While Madonna slipped into “Dress You Up” for her Rebel Heart Tour, she hasn’t put a touring halo on “Angel” since 1985 – which is before at least half the people in her Truth or Dare-style teaser clip were even born. This sweet, slinky slice of ‘80s pop could use some wings.
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“Material Girl”
It might’ve seemed presumptuous for Madonna to compare herself to the 20th century’s most enduring sex symbol back on her second album, but history has more than proven she can comfortably place herself in the same pop culture pantheon as Marilyn Monroe. The smash still slaps, and it’s proven surprisingly durable, allowing for various stylistic reimaginings.
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”Material Gworrllllllll!”
Sure, it’s an anniversary tour, but it can’t all be backward gazing – and what better song to catapult this setlist into the 21st century than Madonna’s delirious, wild collab with Saucy Santana? Of course, the rising rapper can’t reasonably be present for every date, but given that they’ve already performed it together in NYC once, he could make one of the MSG dates, right?
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“Frozen”
The highest-charting hit from 1998’s Ray of Light (No. 2 on Hot 100), a crowd-pleaser during her intimate 2019 residency at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and a recently viral TikTok favorite, it’s a no-brainer that hearts will be open (and phones will be recording) if and when she busts this one out. Whether it’s the O.G. ballad version or the amped-up Sickick remix is Madame X’s decision to make.
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"Bedtime Story"
Given that Madonna has performed it just once live (according to Setlist.fm’s estimation), this Björk co-write about the fallibility of language is overdue for a reappreciation. We’re not saying we want the full-length version, but with the right arranger, it could serve as a surprising, satisfying segue into a certain No. 1 smash from the same album….
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“Take a Bow”
Spending seven weeks at No. 1, “Take a Bow” is Madonna’s longest-running Hot 100 topper — yet she’s rarely performed it live. All the world is a stage, which means there’s basically no place a performance of this achingly gorgeously ballad doesn’t belong.
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“Open Your Heart”
Second album Like a Virgin propelled her to superstardom, but 1986’s True Blue proved she was there to stay, and “Open Your Heart” is a huge piece of that equation. Coy yet fierce, airy but unstoppable, “Heart” is every bit as irresistible as when it reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 in early ’87.
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"Gambler"
Save her part in a no-budget student film (A Certain Sacrifice) shot in 1979, Madonna’s first film role was in the 1985 romance Vision Quest. She contributed two songs to the soundtrack: the Hot 100-topping ballad “Crazy for You” and “Gambler,” the latter of which didn’t even reach streaming services until 2022. Is it a lost masterpiece? Not exactly, but it’s a rollicking high-energy number that we can imagine Madonna busting out the electric guitar during.
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“Don’t Cry for Me Argentina (Miami Mix)”
Sure, it’s more of a classic in the oeuvres of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Patti LuPone, but when it comes to Evita, Madonna does have something those theater greats don’t: A top 10 Hot 100 hit, thanks to this remix accompanying the film’s 1996 release. We’re not asking for a start-to-finish dramatic performance, but a verse or two would be a delightful lead in to….
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"La Isla Bonita"
Given that Amy Schumer led an eclectic celebrity-sing-along to this one in an Instagram video teasing the tour, it seems like a given that it will be on the setlist. And why the hell not? It’s a fan fave everyone knows the words to, which means that when Madge incites a stadium-wide sing-along to the chorus, she can slip off stage and change costume before anyone realizes she’s gone.
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“Deeper and Deeper”
An underrated pop-house classic from Erotica, “Deeper and Deeper” sounds better and better with each passing year – and for a tour that follows a year where not one but two next-gen superstars released house-imbued LPs, this deserves some shine. Plus, it directly references….
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"Vogue"
It’s no guarantee that Madame X will let her body groove to this music during her 40th anniversary tour, but given the fact that Queen Bey paid official homage to the Queen of Pop just last year with her appropriately titled “The Queens Remix” of the Hot 100-topping “Break My Soul,” it’s a likely bet. “Vogue” is of its time, sure, but increasingly, it’s clear that it’s one of the GOAT dance classics.
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“Drowned World/Substitute for Love”
Face the facts: You can’t follow-up a high-energy bulldozer like “Vogue” with another banger, slapper or even a bop. Take it down a notch. Ray of Light’s ethereal, introspective opening track is enough of a vibe to keep the energy up while allowing people a moment to catch their breath.
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"Hollywood"
On this American Life single, Madonna tackled her love-hate relationship with Hollywood, one that’s produced its fair share of hits (Evita, Desperately Seeking Susan) and flops (Swept Away, Shanghai Surprise). Her Tinseltown fixation continues even now with her wildly anticipated upcoming biopic, directed by Ms. Ciccone herself. Our suggestion? She should thread exclusive biopic teasers into live performances of “Hollywood” on the anniversary tour. People (including but not limited to us) will eat it up.
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"Who's That Girl"
Speaking of a hit and a flop, it’s time to bring “Who’s That Girl” back into regular rotation on a Madonna tour. Yes, the movie underperformed, but that’s water under the 36-year-old bridge. The title track topped the Hot 100 in the summer of 1987, and it would be exciting to hear how M would reimagine it for 2023.
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“Causing a Commotion”
While we’re on the topic, “Causing a Commotion” was a No. 2 Hot 100 hit hailing from the same soundtrack. This might not be a sturdy classic in the vein of hit songs that warranted inclusion on The Immaculate Collection, but we’d like to hear some rarities on this trek, and why not a “deep cut” that was also a massive hit?
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“Back That Up to the Beat (Demo)”
Originally released on a deluxe edition of Madame X in 2019, the demo version of this song (dating back to 2015) went viral on TikTok in 2022, prompting Madonna to officially release this likable, Danceteria-styled jam. It’s probably not a selection for every night, but it would be a fun surprise here and there.
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“I Don’t Search I Find”
Her landmark 50th hit on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart, this Madame X highlight pulls off the slick trick of keeping its feet in the club while reaching its fingers into the nebulous ether. It also gave her recent hits comp Finally Enough Love its name, so it would be surprising not to hear it at least a couple times on this tour.
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"Girl Gone Wild"
A decade after its release, fan reactions to MDNA remain mixed – hell, Madonna herself has questioned it. But this thumping, dark EDM foray hits the hedonistic sweet spot, and a portion of it could provide a solid lead-in to….
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"Music"
Her 12th (and to date most recent) song to top the Hot 100, “Music” seems like a shoo-in for an anniversary tour setlist. It’s one of her most played hits, and for good reason: Be they bourgeoise or rebel, it makes the people come together.
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“Like a Virgin”
Despite being one of her live staples, she hasn’t busted out “Like a Virgin” since 2016 – and for an anniversary tour, it’s kinda-sorta a must, as her first No. 1 on the Hot 100. We’re not demanding a full rendition – it’s far from the very first time she’s played it – but it still makes us feel shiny and new.
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“Give It 2 Me”
A throbbing highlight from 2008’s Hard Candy, “Give It 2 Me” was one of just 16 remixes to appear on the abridged vinyl version of Finally Enough Love. It was justified: this Neptunes co-production about her unstoppable drive and insatiability still leaves us breathless.
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"Sorry"
Speaking of breathless (and not Mahoney), this Confessions on a Dance Floor delight is a relentless monster of propulsive rhythm, and it’s an underrated fan fave she hasn’t busted out on stage in well over a decade.
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“I’ll Remember”
Despite it being a No. 2 hit on the Hot 100, Madonna has still yet to perform this song (which hailed from the With Honors soundtrack and was later included on her ballads comp Something to Remember) on stage. It might be too on the nose for Madonna, but given that this is an anniversary tour, “I’ll Remember” could be an opportunity for a visual montage of the far-too-many friends and collaborators she’s lost over the years.
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“What It Feels Like for a Girl”
Whether she goes the thumping techno route from the video or the more acoustic album version, this Music single would give Madonna a chance to visually highlight any number of global concerns, from the protests in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody (after she was arrested and beaten for wearing her hijab in a fashion authorities objected to) to the trans women targeted by dog whistle-loving conservatives.
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"I Rise"
A crowd sing-along to “I Rise” – which was a stirring, sobering encore on the Madame X Tour that clearly meant a lot to Madonna herself – could nicely cap off this more serious portion of the setlist.
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“Hanky Panky”
Madonna contains multitudes — which means after an especially somber segment, it wouldn’t be hard for her to turn on a dime and brighten things up. Given the star roster of drag queens she brought to New York during 2022 Pride Month, she shouldn’t have any trouble deploying a coterie of drag stars to join her on stage as she gradually brings the energy level back up with this I’m Breathless single.
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“Keep It Together”
A highlight of her Blond Ambition World Tour that hasn’t seen a stage in decades, the funky family anthem “Keep It Together” (a top 10 Hot 100 hit) is overdue for a chance to groove audiences once again.
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“Express Yourself”
The higher-charting (No. 2) stylistic sister to “Together,” “Express Yourself” hails from the same album (Like a Prayer) and has been a highlight of any Madonna tour it’s graced. It’s a must.
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"Erotica"
Public response might’ve been puritanical to this one back in 1992, but it paved the way for dark-alley musical detours from Rihanna, Christina Aguilera and others. This sinuous S&M groover deserves another moment in the light – or in this case, in the glow of a basement-dungeon fluorescent bulb dangling from a chain.
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"Hung Up"
Who knew ABBA could sound so urgent before Madonna sampled their 1979 hit “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” for “Hung Up” — a throbbing piece of disco revival that remains as irresistible (and in the gay bars, inescapable) as when Madonna dropped it in 2005?
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“Rescue Me”
While it popped up as an interlude during the Madame X Tour (following a backstage request from Billboard at the 2019 BBMAs), “Rescue Me” is one of Madonna’s few top 10 hits that she’s never performed live. It’s a rousing anthem of resilience, and we’d love to hear it on at least one of these Celebration Tour dates.
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"Living for Love"
The Rebel Heart single that deserved better (it topped Dance Club Songs but missed the Hot 100), “Living for Love” is a rousing diva-house anthem with an uplifting message. The gospel choir elements could provide a fitting segue to…
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"Like a Prayer"
This will probably take up prime real estate during the Celebration Tour, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Whether she’s singing it on stage in front of tens of thousands or on the streets of Harlem well past midnight, it never fails to take us there. And in terms of pre-encore show closers, it’s hard to beat.
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"Celebration"
For the encore opener, we’re thinking the single that gave her 2009 hits comp and this tour its name. Plus, when she dropped it at Terminal 5 during Pride Month 2022, it served as perfect intro to….
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"Holiday"
A simple song about persevering throughout dark times that has become an anthem for the LGBTQ community, “Holiday” is a masterclass in not overthinking the assignment. Need a sweet, joyful dance-pop rallying cry? This is it.
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"Into the Groove"
You wanna dance? For inspiration? C’mon! It doesn’t get better than this. Our pick for the best Madonna song of all time, there’s something ineffably liberating about this ode to forgetting your fears on the dancefloor.
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"B-tch I'm Madonna"
Fan reactions to this song are admittedly divided, but it’s an appropriately IDGAF pin to put on 40 years of iconoclastic pop: a smirk, a wink and a middle finger all in one.